Stream-lining



R. KEMP.

STREAM LINING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 22. [9!8.

1 ,333,620. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT KEMP, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STREAM-LINING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT KEMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of WVashington, District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement n Stream-Linings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n structural elements for craft designed to encounter fluid currents, and it has for its object the production of stream-lining for such structural elements.

The usual method employed in the construction of stream-line supporting or structural elements is to attach a solid piece of wood or equivalent material of such contour as to effect stream-lining. This is objectionable, however, because it not only adds unnecessary weight but requires skilled labor. In view of this, one object of my inventlon is to provide a means for stream-linmg a structural element which shall be simple of construction, effective, light in weight and of suflicient strength to withstand any stresses to which it may be sub ected.

Tubular stream-lining, also, has heretofore been provided by slipping a tube, su1t ably shaped, over the strut to be streamlined. This can only be done, however, before the strut is placed in the structure of which it is a part. For this reason, another object of my invention is to provide a means for stream-lining structural elements which may be employed after the structure to be stream-lined is completed. Thls also provides a means for repairing damaged streamlining of struts without removing the struts from the structure.

With material constructed according to my invention, stream-lining may be done with only ordinary implements.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a slde elevation, partly broken away, of a portlon of a strut stream-lined in accordance w1th my 1nvention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the strut shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section, on a larger scale, of the sheet shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan view of portions of a sheet which may be used for stream-lining; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the sheet portions shown in Fig. fl; F1g. 1s a plan View similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating a modification; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the built-up sheet portions shown 1n Fig. 6.

In practising my invention, I employ laminated sheets of suitable material hardened with a binder. The material may be a closely matted, calendered material, such as paper, a loosely matted or spinnable fibrous material, such as cotton batting, or a woven material, such as duck or muslin. The binder maybe shellac, copal, casein, marine glue or a phenolic condensation product, such as bakelite. If a phenolic condensation product, such as bakelite, is used, the material may be impregnated with the bakelite and the built-up sheets then hardened by the application of heat and pressure. The hardened sheets above described may have a relatively soft or pliable material disposed between, and projecting beyond, their laminations, or strips of pliable material may be fastened to the edges of the above-mentioned hardened sheets.

In stream-lining a strut in accordance with my invention, I may bend a hardened sheet around the strut and bring together the edges of the pliable material projecting from the hardened sheet, after which the projecting ends, thus brought together, may be sewed or otherwise fastened, thus completing the stream-lining of the strut.

In order to insure a clear and accurate understanding of my invention, I have shown a strut 10 in Figs. 1 and 2 covered with a stream-lining sheet 11 having longitudinal strips of pliable material 12 fastened thereto with book-binders staples 13 or other suitable fastening means, the strips 12 being sewed together, as shown at 14, to hold the sheet in proper shape about the strut. The fragmentary sec-tion, shown in Fig. 3, is taken through one longitudinal edge of the sheet used in Figs. 1 and 2 and shows a sheet 11 comprising a plurality of laminations of impregnated sheet material pressed together, with the binder hardened. One staple 13 is also shown binding the pliable strip of material 12 to the hardened laminated sheet 11.

In case it is found necessary to employ a long sheet for stream-lining a structural element, an additional means for maintaining the proper shape of the sheet may be used. For instance, sections of stream-lined blocks may be screwed or otherwise fastened to the structural element at suitable intervals, as the blocks, disposed along the stream-lining 'IIlEllIlttLlIlll'lg it in proper shape.

in this way, will support the sheet and aid in I have illustrated this feature in Figs. 1 and 2 in which 19 is a block of wood, or equivalent material, fastened to the strut 10 by means of screws 20.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated another method of building up a sheet to be used for stream-lining, the treated laminations of sheet material 15 having an additional or intermediate lamination 16 which projects beyond the edges of the laminations 15 and the projecting edges of which are untreated and pliable so they may be stitched or other-wise fastened to each other. Fig. 5 particularly illustrates the disposition of the laminations 15 and 16. The laminations are disposed as shown and pressure is applied to them, thus forming a hard, bendable sheet.

Fig. 6 shows a still further modified method of building up material in accordance with my invention. The laminated sheets 18, which may be treated with an adhesive as a binder, have strips 17 disposed between them and projecting beyond their longitudinal edges, the projecting strips being of pliable, untreated material. The body thus built up may be pressed into a hard and homogeneous sheet having projecting edges of pliable material.

A stream-lining sheet built up of material in accordance with my invention is highly resistant to atmospheric conditions, such as heat and moisture, and to the action of engine exhaust gases.

These and other like methods may be em-. ployed in building up material for streamlining by persons skilled in the art, a broad object of my invention being to construct a hard, bendable sheet suitable for streamlining andhaving pliable, longitudinal edge portions. I desire, therefore, that no limitations shall be imposed upon my invention except such as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stream-lining structure comprising a hard, bendable body member and projecting edges of pliable material.

2. A stream-lining structure comprising a hard, bendable laminated body member and projecting edges of pliable material.

3. A stream-lining structure comprising a hard, bendable laminated sheet member and projecting edges of pliable material.

4. A stream-lining structure comprising a laminated, bendable sheet impregnated with a binder and having projecting edges of pliable material.

5. A stream-lining resilient structure comprising a plurality of superimposed laminations consolidated with a phenolic condensation product as a binder and having projecting edges of pliable material.

6. A stream-lining structure comprising a plurality of superimposed laminations impregnated with a phenolic condensation product, which has been hardened by heat, as a binder and having projecting edges of pliable material.

7. A stream-lining structure comprising a laminated sheet impregnated with a phenolic condensation product which has been hardened by the application of heat and pressure and having projecting edges of pliable material.

8. A stream-lining sheet comprising superimposed laminations impregnated with a phenolic condensation product which has been hardened by heat and pressure, one of said laminations having its edge portions untreated and projecting beyond the other laminations.

9. A stream-lining sheet comprising superimposed laminations impregnated with a phenolic condensation product which has been hardened by heat and pressure and longitudinal strips of pliable material fastened to the edges of the laminations.

10. A stream-lining sheet comprising superimposed laminations impregnated with a phenolic condensation product which has been hardened by heat and pressure, and longitudinal strips of pliable material disposed between, and projecting beyond, said laminations.

11. A stream-lining sheet of hard, resilient material having pliable longitudinal edge portions, the sheet being bent to proper shape and the pliable edge portions being fastened to maintain the proper shape.

12. In stream-lined structures, the combination with a structural element of a streamline cover applied thereto and comprising a laminated sheet of fibrous material hard ened with a binder, and pliable, longitudinal edge portions, the sheet being bent about the structural element and to the proper shape and the edge portions being fastened together to maintain the sheet in proper stream-line shape.

13. In stream-lined structures, the combination witha structural element, of a stream-line cover applied thereto and comprising a laminated sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a phenolic condensation product which has been hardened by heat and pressure and having pliable, longitudi nal edge portions, the sheet being bent about the structural element and to the proper shape and the edge portions being fastened together to maintain the sheet in proper stream-line shape.

14. In stream-lined structures, the combination with a structural element, of a stream-line cover applied thereto and comprising a laminated sheet of fibrous material hardened with a binder, the sheet being of proper shape and inclosing the structural element, and supporting sections of proper shape disposed at suitable intervals along the structural element. A

15. In stream-lined structures, the combination with a structural element of a stream-line cover applied thereto and comprising a laminated sheet of fibrous material hardened with a binder, and pliable, longitudinal edge portions, the sheet being bent 10 to proper shape about the structural element and the edge portions being fastened t0- gether to maintain the sheet in proper stream-line shape, and supporting sections disposed at suitable intervals along the structural element.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 13th day of July 1918.

ROBERT KEMP. 

